Sick's Swift

Sick's Swift

Chaetura meridionalis

Silhouette: Aviceda (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Chapada Diamantina National Park
15 Verified sightings at Chapada Diamantina National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,955 Verified sightings across all 13 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Sick's Swift

Sick's swift (Chaetura meridionalis) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It was previously considered conspecific with the smaller ashy-tailed swift, but a study published in 1997 found that Sick's swift was closer to the chimney swift. The English name commemorates the German-born ornithologist Helmut Sick who studied South American birds. It is a migratory species that breeds in central South America and overwinters in northern South America. The IUCN has listed it as being of "Least Concern".

Sick's swift was formally described in 1907 by the Austrian ornithologist Carl Eduard Hellmayr from specimens collected in the Santiago del Estero Province of northern Argentina. Hellmayr considered it to be a subspecies of the ashy-tailed swift and coined the trinomial name Chaetura andrei meridionalis. The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning "southern". Based on a study by the ornithologist Manuel Marín, Sick's swift is now considered to be separate from the ashy-tailed swift and has been elevated to species status. The English name commemorates the German-born ornithologist, Helmut Sick, who studied Brazilian birdlife.

The upperparts dark smoky... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
2 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
3 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
4 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
5 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
6 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
7 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
8 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
9 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
10 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
11 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
12 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
13 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Sick's Swift in Chapada Diamantina National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sick's Swift sighting in Chapada Diamantina National Park, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Sick's Swift in Chapada Diamantina National Park?

March has the highest sighting rate for Sick's Swift in Chapada Diamantina National Park in our monthly data.

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